National Small Business Alliance, NSBA ripoff Washington DC Virginia
National Small Business Alliance - NSBA is a rip off. They are one of the better covers but a rip off none-the-less. Let me explain my story. I recieved an e-mail from some e-mail advertising company, I forget which one. It was for an application for a small business credit card. I don't own a business but was looking into starting one. I think this is great, maybe I will be approved so I start filling it out. Near the bottom before I hit enter I see their disclaimer. "NSBA is not associated with The National Small Business Association or American Small Business Alliance" so I click the little X in the corner of the box. No way am I getting involved with a company that tries to use the good name of the NSBA (the real one) to get sign-ups.
A week or so goes by and guess what? I get charged for their service. I am like what the hell? So I call up the customer service line. It is not their customer service line mind you but an outsource. I figure, hey that is OK it is getting to be a common thing now. So I get the number for them. I call it during business hours. Not only does no one answer but the mail box that I am transfered too is completely full so I can't even leave a message. I try a few times but to no avail.
Now keep in mind that I never ordered their product, I never recieved any e-mails confirming an order, I never recieved any package in the mail with any info. I never recieved a thing. It seems that a small virus of some sort was involved that allows actually sends any info that you have in window when you close it out. So I called my bank and immediately reported it and started an investigation.
Now, lets also keep in mind that the page I was directed to by this e-mail mentioned nothing about charges, nor about a membership. It mentioned only about applying for $8,000 in credit.
My friends; no matter what the rebuttals, this program is a scam. They are a smart scam by giving your money back if you fuss enough, and by actually answering your calls if you call enough. But the truth is they only do this to give the image that they are a rapidly growing business with a few problems to work out. They want to ride this money train a little longer before they get out.
As a side note my fiancee is so mad that she has decided to ask our lawyers to look into it. OK, the really aren't our lawyers; but the bosses of my mom who has been a paralegal for them for going on 12 years now, I have never had to hire them; but have used their stationary in the past to get things run through rapidly. Should they decide that a suit would be lucrative I will come back and give you all the details.
Chris
Portland, Oregon
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Chris
Portland,Oregon,
U.S.A.
Some added research for you.
#2Author of original report
Sat, July 02, 2005
The good news is that my bank rapidly returned the money to me. Forget going through NSBA themselves. The operator told me it would take 3-10 days to conduct an investigation and then they would return my funds, but it seems after the investigators from the bank were unable to contact anyone at the NSBA they went ahead and refunded me right away. Props to Wells Fargo at spotting questionable activity and acting promptly.
I am not sure how to go about adding a link into this so I am just going to paste an address for you.
http://www.nsbaonline1.com/index.php?campaignid=10000547482&exc=0&siteid=655&accountid=6712&sourceid=10220
This is the link that is being sent out in a very agressive e-mail campaign. I have found that some sites will pay you $17 just to sign up with the NSBA. Don't do it of course, you will just lose your money. But that is the campaign they are currently running.
Notice that no mention of fees are made nor the limitations of what the credit is for until you get to the bottom and click the terms.
I admit I am pretty gullible at times and it does look like just an application so I started filling it out. Figure what can it hurt to just apply. Sadly I use roboform and it fills out many of the fields for me. I know better then to do that without scanning the whole page first now. Now I am not accusing NSBA of putting in the little virus or whatever that caused my red X to act like a submit button (without any warning to me either) but it appears that is what indeed happened. I am accusing them of shady dealings and either of having the worst communication in business or one of the most ingenius at balking customers. If you fill out their form you will be charged. Even if you cancel you will be charged, even if you don't hit enter you will be charged. Obviously they show no record of me signing up or I would have got maybe a phone call, e-mail confirmation, or at least the information that they charged me for. But I didn't. Still if you don't sign up you will still be charged. Best bet is just not to ever visit their site.
I have talked to many folk, and have come to the decision that it is time to go to the news stations. Any others that have been scammed please feel free to do the same. Truth is I don't even care if they somehow; no matter how unbelievable, are just a struggling but authentic business. This country does not need businesses that run that poorly. It is about time they shut their doors.